This blog is a resource for students, faculty, alumni and friends of the Graduate Program in Creative Writing at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (alums of both the past MA program and current MFA Program welcome). MFA Faculty/Staff: Pinckney Benedict, Rodney Jones (professor emeritus), Judy Jordan, Allison Joseph, Beth Lordan (professor emerita), & Jon Tribble.

The Devil's Kitchen Literary Festival, named after the famous lake, is an annual three-day festival featuring readings, panels, and book signings by published writers from across the country. The event is a great opportunity to meet published authors and to celebrate their works. It is free and open to the whole Southern Illinois community. Three of the authors attending are winners of the Devil's Kitchen Reading Awards in Poetry, Fiction, and Nonfiction, David Tomas Martinez (Poetry), Megan Milks (Fiction), and Ben Tanzer (Nonfiction). They will read from their works as a part of the festival.

The festival starts on Wednesday October 21st and ends Friday October 23rd. There are a total of eight events including readings by the 2015 Devil’s Kitchen Reading Award in Poetry, Fiction, and Nonfiction, readings by other honored guests, writing panels, and book signings by the many acclaimed authors. All of the events will be held in the first floor of the Morris Library, schedule below.